Virtues
by Bailation
Summary: The parents of the wizarding world teach their children to value their virtues, and avoid their vices. Each chapter will be a different parent and child. First virtue is Kindness.


"Rosie! You're O.W.L. results came!"

Rose Weasley bounded down the stairs and into the kitchen, where her mother held the highly-anticipated envelope out for her daughter. Ron stood up from his place at the kitchen table and peered over his daughter's shoulder. Hugo looked up from the book he was reading and watched as his sister ripped open the letter and scanned the results with a slight frown on her face.

"How did you do, Rosie?" asked Hermione, her hands clamped together in anticipation.

"I did…okay," said Rose, her expression unsure. Hugo rolled his eyes as Ron snatched away the parchment.

"Rosie, these grades are brilliant! 'Outstandings' in everything except Defense against the Dark Arts, which you still got an 'Exceeds Expectations' in! As I recall, I think your mother got those same exact results…" he shot Hermione a knowing look, while she blushed. She took the parchment from him and checked over the grades herself. She beamed at her daughter and hugged her tightly. "We're so proud of you, Rose."

Rose hugged her back, though she still looked slightly disappointed in herself. Ron hugged her next, kissing the top of his daughter's head. She smiled as she broke away and tucked the O.W.L. results in her pocket. "Mum, Dad, can I go to Scorp's today? I promise I'll be back by sundown."

Hermione smiled and nudged Ron, who had stiffened next to her. "Of course you can, Rose. Have fun!"

Rose grinned and left the house, walking the few blocks that led to the Malfoys' home. Since they lived so close to each other, Rose and Scorpius Malfoy had begun visiting each other during the summers after meeting for the first time on the Hogwarts Express. Ron and Hermione suspected the two teenagers were more than friends at this point. As much as Ron resented the Malfoy family, he knew he couldn't stop his daughter from seeing her friend.

As the door slammed behind Rose, Hugo stood up and stomped through the kitchen and up to his room, disgusted by his sister's reaction to her brilliant grades. He fell on his bed, glaring at his owl alarm clock.

He knew he wasn't as clever as Rose. He had inherited the Weasley slacker genes, which caused him to become easily distracted while doing homework. It was a great deal of pressure, being the son of the cleverest witch of her generation, who had earned the highest O.W.L. results since Albus Dumbledore. Not to mention both his parents had experienced a great deal of success after the war, along with his already-famous uncle. Everyone expected greatness from him because he was the son of the famous Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. It also didn't help that his sister was the brightest witch of her year, just as her mother had been.

A knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. He rolled his eyes and called out, "What?"

His door cracked open and his father stuck his head in. "Can we talk?"

"About what?" asked Hugo, suddenly much more annoyed than he was previously. He hated talking about his feelings.

His father shot him a look that told him he was going to get a lecture whether he liked it or not. "Now you know that it's terribly tacky to be jealous of your sister."

"I'm not jealous!" protested Hugo. Ron shot him a knowing look and his son sighed.

"I just wish she wouldn't get so upset when she doesn't get absolutely _perfect _grades. Even if she had gotten all 'Outstandings' on the O.W.L.s, she wouldn't still found something wrong with the results!"

Ron was silent for a few moments. Then he sat down on his son's bed and said, "I know what you mean. When your mother got her results, she said the same exact thing as your sister did. She thought she did _alright,_ even though she got all 'Outstandings' and one 'Exceeds Expectations'.

"And I completely know how you feel, mate. My O.W.L.s weren't the greatest; in fact, I didn't get one 'Outstanding'." He leaned closer to his son, clapping a hand on Hugo's shoulder. "But envy is a deadly flaw, mate. And I made the biggest mistake of my life when I became jealous of my two friends, just for being who they are."

Hugo frowned. "What do you mean?"

Ron sighed again, his eyes glazed with unhappy memories. "I told you about the war, didn't I? About how me, your mother, and Uncle Harry had to skip our last year of school to hide out and find Voldemort's horcruxes?"

Hugo nodded seriously, trying to read the earnest expression on his father's face.

"Well, for a few weeks, I wasn't with my friends. I left them, because I resented them for the flaws that they couldn't help from having. I screamed at Harry, and I ignored your mother, who was begging me to stay. I left for weeks, and when I came back, I paid for it, believe me."

Hugo was silent as Ron continued. "I was such a jealous person, Hugh. I was jealous of Harry because of his fame, and I envied Hermione because she never got a bad grade, not once. I just don't want you to make the same mistakes I've made, Hugo."

Hugo grabbed his pillow and started fiddling with the edge of the pillowcase. "But Dad…Rose is so _infuriating_, especially when she gets upset because she got _one _point off of her Charms test!"

Ron smirked. "She was born that way, mate. She can't help it, believe me. I've experienced the bookworm gene, and it's nothing that can be reversed.

"But you can't resent your sister for being who she is, Hugo. You have to stick by her, no matter how annoying she gets. Treat her with kindness, mate, because she does to same for you."

His father got up and left the room, leaving Hugo to his swirling thoughts.

* * *

><p>When Rose returned later that night, Hugo greeted her with a huge hug from behind.<p>

"Hey!" she laughed. "What's up with you?"

He broke away from his sister and said, "You did good on your O.W.L.s, Rosie."

Rose's smile faded and she shook her head disbelievingly. "No, I didn't, I really –"

"Rose!" her brother locked his blue eyes on her brown ones. "Really. You did brilliant."

She grinned and slowly nodded. "Thanks, Hugo."


End file.
